Switch.



10.858,342.A 7 PATENTBDJUNB 25, 1907. y

A. c.Y HIGGINBOTHAM.

SWITCH. 4 APPLICATION FILED JAN. 8. 1907.

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ALLEN C. HIGGINBOTHAM, OF DECOTA,. WEST VIRGINIA.,

SWITCH.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June 25, 1907.

Application leflaanuary 3, 1907. Serial No. 350.605.

To all whom it may concern: Y

Be it known that I, ALLEN C. HIGGIN- BOTHAM, acitizen of the United States, residing at Decota, in the county of Kanawha and State of West Virginia, have invented new and useful Improvements in Switches, of which the following is a specification.

The invention relates to an improvement in switch-operating mechanism designed primarily for use on mine railways or the like, where a number of cars are arranged for travel over the railroad and connected to operate the empty cars by the weight of the loaded Ones. In such railroads, it is customary to have a single track for the travel of the cars'in both directions, a switch or side track being arranged at the point at which the cars pass. As each car always travels over its own particular length of track at the switch out, some means 'must be provided for insuring that a car will travel in the same length of track in both directions, or in other words set the switch and hold it in a particular position during travel of the car in both directions.

The main object of the present invention, therefore, is switch'- operating -mechanism initially moved by the travel of the car and automatically setting the switch and maintaining it so set during travel of the car in both directions, the connection providing for the automatic control of the switch by the mechanism in movement in either direction.

The invention will iirs't be described in connection with the accompanying drawings, wherein Figure 1 is a side view of my improved switch-operating mechanism. Fig. 2 is a vertical section on line 2-2 of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a transverse section on line 3 3, Fig. l.

Referring to the drawings, myi'mproved switch-operating mechanism comprises a switch stand 1, including two spaced arcuate strips 2 disposed in parallel relation, and terminally secured to bed-plates 3 secured alongside the track in alinement with the switch points.

A supporting bar 4 is terminally secured between the strips 2, bridging the space within the strips a short distance above the bed-plates. A pivot-bar 5 is secured to the supporting bar, said pivot bar being of less length than the supporting bar and formed with off-set ends for enga ement with the supporting-bar, whereby w en in place the pivot bar is disposed in spaced parallel rela tion to the supporting bar.

A switch-operating lever 6 is arranged on a pivot pin 7 mounted in the supporting bar and pivot bar, being disposed between said bars, the lever projecting below the stand 1, and being connected to a point-rod 8 directly connected to the switch-points (not shown). The upper end of the lever 6 is branched at 9 and 10, said branches curving from the plane of projection of the lever and in opposite directions, each of said branches being terminally bent laterally to provide a right-angled lip 1 1, as clearly shown in Fig. 2.

A setting lever 12 is mounted at its lower end upon the pivot pin 7 beyond the supporting bar, said lever extending in the same general direction as the lever 6, and below the branched portion of said lever 6, the setting lever is offset as at 13, to dis ose the u per portion of said lever within t e lane o the ips 11, as will be evident from ig. 2. The free end of the setting lever is rovided with a weight 14, adjustably secured) to permit suchvariation in the lever control as may be desirable.

In use a car traveling over the closed switch points will force the points to open po sition, with the effect to shift the operating lever 6, causing the lip 11 at this time in engagement with the setting lever to throw said leverbeyond the vertical. This movement of the setting lever causes the latter to engage the opposite lip 11, and thereby force the operating lever to the eXtreme opposite position and thus hold the switch points in the desired osition and causing the operating car to take the same track upon its return trip. As the other car, traveling in the other on said lever track section of the side track, meets the switch oints, an identical operation will occur an the switch points be held to return the second car over the same track. Each car will thus operate the mechanism with the eect to insure that the particular car will at all times travel over the same track section of the switch-out, therefore automatically switching the cars as desired without any attention on the part of the operator.

I-Iaving thus described the invention, what I claim is 1. A switch stand, an operating lever mounted thereon and connected to the switch points, the upper end of the leverbeing provided with oppositely projecting arms IOO terminally bent to provide lips, and a setting lever initially moved in the operation of the operatinglever, the movement of the setting lever being completed by gravity, said seti ting lever engaging the lips of the operating lever during movement of the setting lever under the influence of gravity.

2. A switch stand including a supporting bar, a pivot bar secured to the supporting bar and centrally s aoed therefrom, an operating lever connecte to the switch points and pivotally secured between the supporting bar and ivot bar, the upper end of said lever being ormed With oppositely projecting arms terminally bent to provide lips, and a weighted setting lever mounted on the pivot of the operating lever and arranged beyond the pivot bar, said setting lever being ol'l'set above its pivotal connection to arrange the upper portion thereof in the plane of the lips of the operating lever, whereby said setting lever under the influence of gravity will engage said lips and aotuate the operating lever.

In testimony whereof, I aiilix my sign ature in presence of two witnesses.

ALLEN C. HIGGINBOTHAM. 

